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Knee Tendon Tears & Injuries

Knee injuries are very common in today’s world. One area that knee injuries can occur is the tendons. Tendons are “strong bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones. The tendons in the front of the knee are the quadriceps tendon and the patellar tendon. The quadriceps tendon connects to the top of the patella and allows the leg to extend. The patellar tendon connects to the bottom of the kneecap and attaches to the top of the tibia.” (KidsHealth.org)

How do knee tendon injuries happen?

Tendon injuries can range from inflammation of a tendon such as tendonitis, all the way to a torn tendon. Most torn tendons occur from overuse, such as in sports. When that happens, the tendon stretches like a rubber band and becomes inflamed. Tendon injuries also can be caused by trying to break a fall. “If thigh muscles contract, the tendon can tear. This is most likely to happen in older people with weak tendons.” (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

A very common type of knee tendon injury is called tendinitis. Tendinitis of the knee is also known as jumper’s knee. Types of sports such as basketball and volleyball, and sports that require jumping, can cause the tendon to become inflamed or tear.